Showering device for the intimate region

ABSTRACT

A showering device for the intimate region is provided for colon irrigation. The device comprises a housing in the form of a hand-grip body, a shut-off valve, a housing closure, and a head portion. An insertion rinsing tube may be exchangeably and sealably connected to the housing through the housing closure. An existing shower head hose, for example, is used to supply water via the shut-off cock located on the housing body. The shut off cock is opened for the inner and outer washing process only when the insertion rinsing tube is readily held, while an individual is sitting on the water closet or bidet, under the body in an upright manner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of prior U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/048,731, filed Jan. 30, 2002, which claimspriority to PCT/CH00/00336, having an international filing date of Jun.20, 2000, which claims priority to Swiss Patent Application No. CH1192/99, filed Aug. 10, 1999.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a showering device for use around theintimate region and particularly to a device used for colonic irrigationas a part of colon therapy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many showering devices have been designed for use around the intimateregion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,635 (Gauthier) describes a shower headspecifically designed for medical treatment which is permanentlyattached to a body. A hollow chamber is provided within the body.Medication in the form of a tablet or a dissolvable cartridge may beplaced in the hollow chamber. To improve the spraying effect of thedissolved medication, the shower head may be attached to a rotatingspraying head or a douche. Since the shower head disclosed in Gauthieris not provided with a housing or a housing closure, an insertionrinsing tube may not be sealably and exchangeably held to the showerhead. Also, since the shower head is permanently attached to the body,it may not be removably attached to an insertion rinsing tube.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,176 (Kelsen) describes a vaginal applicator having amanual control valve means to which a syringe is detachably connected.The manual control valve means serves as an adjunct to the valve meansand the valves of a faucet for governing the flow of fluid, such aswater, through a hose and the syringe. The vaginal applicator disclosedin Kelsen is not designed to be used for colonic irrigation. Inaddition, like the shower head disclosed in Gauthier, the shower headdescribed in Kelsen is not provided with a housing or a housing closure.

Further, the inline design of the hose, the manual control valve means,and the syringe, as disclosed in Kelsen, makes it impossible for theperson to operate the device by himself or herself in a sittingposition. The device therefore does not allow the self-insertion of aninsertion rinsing tube into the person's body without polluting thehands of the person performing the insertion and his or hersurroundings.

German Patent No. DE-298,00,816-U describes a shower for anal cleaning.The shower is U-shaped and is provided with an end tube having a spraynozzle. The shower is suitable only for cleaning the body and/or analarea externally. Similar to Kelsen, German Patent No. DE-298,00,816-U isnot designed to be used for colonic irrigation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The showering device of the present invention, besides being useful forexternal body cleaning, is particular useful for internal body cleaningand colonic irrigation. The showering device for the intimate regioncomprises an insertion rinsing tube that may be removably attached andsealably and exchangeably held. The showering device for the intimateregion may be used by a person without requiring the help or assistancefrom another person, and the insertion and the regulation of the waterquantity of the showering device may be operated using only one hand viaa hand-grip so that contamination and pollution of the user's hand andthe surroundings may be avoided.

In one embodiment of the showering device of the present invention, thedevice comprises a housing in the form of a hand-grip body, a shut-offvalve, a housing closure, and a head portion. The entire length of thehousing is passed through by a water duct. The shut-off cock isintegrally installed on the inlet side of the water duct. The outletside of the housing is covered by the housing closure, which isintegrally held on the head portion of the housing.

An insertion rinsing tube may be exchangeably and sealably connected tothe water duct through an opening located on the housing closure. Theinsertion rinsing tube is held in a bore within the head portion of thehousing by means of a seal.

In one embodiment of the showering device, the insertion rinsing tube isstraight so that the water flow direction is inclined from the inletside to the end of the insertion rinsing tube by an angle measuringbetween 90° and 180°.

In another embodiment of the showering device, the water flow directionis inclined from the head portion to the hand-grip body by an anglemeasuring between 0° and 90°. In this embodiment, the insertion rinsingtube is angled, preferably by an angle that measures approximately 90°,and the water flow direction is inclined from the inlet side to theoutlet side of the insertion rinsing tube by an angle that measuresbetween 90° and 180°. Preferably, the angle measures between 120° and150°. The corresponding supplementary angle, which is the angle betweenthe outlet side of insertion rinsing tube and the inlet side of thehousing, measures between 0° and 90°, and is preferably between 30° and60°.

The insertion rinsing tube may be attached to a shower head and ispreferably made of metal, and is preferably chromium plated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detailbelow and illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal sectioned view of a showering device of thepresent invention having a straight insertion rinsing tube;

FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectioned view of a showering device of thepresent invention having an angled insertion rinsing tube; and

FIG. 3 shows a sectional partial side view of the insertion rinsing tubeof FIGS. 1 and 2, having a shower head removably attached thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The showering device of the present invention may be constructed in avariety of different embodiments. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of theshowering device 20 comprising a housing 5 in the form of a hand-gripbody 7, a shut-off valve 6 located in proximity to the inlet side 10 ofthe housing 5, a housing closure 2 located on the outlet side 11 of thehousing 5, and a head portion 8 being formed as an integral singlepiece. The entire length of the housing 5 is traversed by a water duct9. The shut-off cock 6 is integrally installed on the inlet side 10 ofthe water duct 9. The shut-off cock 6 regulates water flow through theshowering device 20. The outlet side 11 of the housing 5 is covered bythe housing closure 2 which is integrally held on the head portion 8 ofthe housing 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, an insertion rinsing tube 1 may be exchangeably andsealably connected to the water duct 9 through an opening 12 located onthe housing closure 2. The insertion rinsing tube 1 is held in a bore 4in the head portion 8 of the housing 5 by means of a seal 3 locatedwithin the head portion 8. The bore 4 receives the insertion rinsingtube 1, which may be exchangeably and sealably held by the water duct 9.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the insertion rinsing tube 1 isstraight so that the water flow direction is inclined from the inletside 10 to the end of the insertion rinsing tube 1 by an angle α of morethan 90° but not exceeding 180°.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the showering device 30 comprising ahousing 5 in the form of a hand-grip body 7 and inclined head portion 8being integrally formed as one piece. The water flow direction in thisembodiment is inclined from the head portion 8 to the hand-grip body 7by an angle α₁ more than 0° but less than 90°. A shut-off cock 6 isintegrally installed on the inlet side 10 of the hand-grip body 7, whilea housing closure 2 is located on the outlet side 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion rinsing tube 1 is also exchangeablyand sealably held in a bore 4 in the head portion 8 of the housing 5 bymeans of a seal 3 located within the head portion 8. In this embodiment,the insertion rinsing tube 1 is angled, preferably by an angle α₂ thatis approximately 90°. The water flow direction is inclined from theinlet side 10 to the outlet side 11 of the insertion rinsing tube 1 byan angle (α₁+α₂) of more than 90° and less than 180°. Preferably, theangle (α₁+α₂) between is 120° and 150°. The corresponding supplementaryangle β, which is the angle between the outlet side of insertion rinsingtube 1 and the inlet side 10 of the housing 5, equals [180°−(α₁+α₂)].Angle β is more than 0° but less than 90°, and is preferably between 30°and 60°.

The insertion side of the insertion rinsing tube 1 is generally roundedat its edge. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the insertion rinsing tube 1may be attached to a shower head 17. The shower head 17 may be used tosoften the jet stream of the rinsing water.

In general, the housing 5, the housing closure 2 and the insertionrinsing tube 1 may be made of plastic injection mould. The insertionrinsing tube 1, however, is preferably made of metal and chromiumplated. Such metal material complies with the most stringent hygienerequirements and may be easily cleaned.

An existing shower head hose, for example, may be used to supply watervia the shut-off cock 6 located on the housing 5. The shut off cock 5 isopened for the inner and outer washing process only when the insertionrinsing tube 1 is readily held, while an individual is sitting on thewater closet or bidet, under the body in an upright manner.

1. A showering device for the intimate region comprising: (a) a housingin the form of a hand-grip body having an inlet side and an outlet side;(b) a shut-off valve located in proximity to the inlet side of thehousing; (c) a housing closure located on the outlet side of thehousing; and (d) an insertion rinsing tube which passes through thehousing closure and is sealably and exchangeably held in a bore in thehousing by means of a seal, wherein the outlet side of the insertionrinsing tube and the inlet side of the housing are inclined to eachother and enclose an angle of less than 90°.
 2. The device according toclaim 1, wherein the outlet side of the insertion rinsing tube and theoutlet side of the housing are inclined to each other and enclose anangle between about 90° and 180°.
 3. The device according to claim 1,wherein the insertion rinsing tube is straight.
 4. The device accordingto claim 1, wherein at least one of the housing closure, the housing,and the insertion rinsing tube is manufactured of a plastic injectionmould.
 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of thehousing closure, the housing, and the insertion rinsing tube ismanufactured of metal and chromium-plated.
 6. The device according toclaim 1, wherein a shower head is placed on the insertion rinsing tube.7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the insertion rinsing tubeis angled.
 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the inlet side ofthe insertion rinsing tube and the outlet side of the housing areinclined to each other and enclose an angle between about 0° and 90°. 9.The device according to claim 7, wherein the angle of the insertionrinsing tube is about 90°.
 10. The device according to claim 7, whereinthe inlet side and the outlet side of the insertion rinsing tube enclosean angle between about 90° and 180°.
 11. The device according to claim7, wherein the inlet side and the outlet side of the insertion rinsingtube enclose an angle between about 120° and 150°.
 12. The deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the outlet side of the insertion rinsingtube and the inlet side of the housing are inclined to each other andenclose an angle between about 0° and 90°.
 13. The device according toclaim 7, wherein the outlet side of the insertion rinsing tube and theinlet side of the housing are inclined to each other and enclose anangle between about 30° and 60°.